Ballot language

Proposes an amendment to Section 5 of Article XI of the State Constitution to require that any proposed amendment to or revision of the State Constitution, whether proposed by the Legislature, by initiative, or by any other method, must be approved by at least 60 percent of the voters of the state voting on the measure, rather than by a simple majority. This proposed amendment would not change the current requirement that a proposed constitutional amendment imposing a new state tax or fee be approved by at least 2/3 percent of the voters of the state voting in the election in which such an amendment is considered.

In favor

"Florida's Constitution is the easiest to amend in our nation. In recent years, ballot initiatives have become a vehicle for well-financed special interest groups to protect their interests via the state's most sacred document. By implementing a higher threshold for approval of constitutional amendments it broadens consensus because a higher percentage of Florida's electorate will be required to pass the initiative.

Against

"When issues are not passed through the Legislature, the ballot initiative process is critical to ensuring the peoples' voices are still heard. The citizen initiative process remains a vital check on government when, for whatever reasons, the government refuses to act. Requiring a higher percentage of the electorate could diminish an initiative's chances of being approved."

Campaign donations=

A total of $3,293,580 was spent on campaigns related to Amendment 3, and it was all spent by the "Yes on 3" side through a group called "Protect Our Constitution."[1]